White and blue houses of Santorini facing the Aegean Sea

🇹🇭 Southern Europe · 11M people

Travel to Greece: the complete 2026 guide

Ancient Athens, postcard Santorini, festive Mykonos, wild Crete, archaeological Peloponnese, turquoise Ionian Islands. Greece has 6,000 islands and 200 inhabited. Cradle of civilization, purest sea in Europe, Mediterranean cuisine. 3h flight from Paris.

📅 When to go? 🗺️ See itineraries

Greece at a glance

Capital

Athens

Language

Greek

Currency

Euro (€)

Time diff

+1h

Flight from Paris

~3h direct

Average / day

€70-200

Visa

Best season

May-June, September-October

Photo : James Ting / Unsplash

In 30 seconds

Why visit Greece

1

6,000 islands, 200 inhabited

White and blue Cyclades (Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Milos), green Ionian (Corfu, Zakynthos, Kefalonia), eastern Dodecanese (Rhodes, Kos), Crete in the South.
2

Cradle of Western civilization

Athens Acropolis, Delphi, Olympia, Mycenae, Knossos in Crete, Epidaurus Theatre. 18 UNESCO sites. History at every step.
3

One of Europe's purest seas

Crystal water (30m visibility), 14,000 km of coastline, 444 Blue Flag beaches. Crete, Karpathos, Ionian and Cyclades among Europe's most coveted destinations.
4

Authentic Mediterranean gastronomy

Firm tomato, feta, AOP olive oil, Santorini wine. Seaside taverns, meze, ouzeria. The original Mediterranean diet.
5

Cheap short-haul off-season

Paris-Athens flights from €80 in May, Sept, Oct. EU, euro, decent English. Ideal for 7-10 day escape.

Calendar

When to go to Greece

Mediterranean. Summer (July-August) = stifling heat (45°C Athens), crowds on islands, prices x2-3. May-June and September = ideal temperature, warm sea. Winter = mild but many taverns/ferries closed.

Full when-to-go guide →

Ideal Fair Avoid · Click for details

Jan

🌡 6-13 °C

Feb

🌡 6-14 °C

Mar

🌡 8-16 °C

Apr

🌡 11-20 °C

May

🌡 16-25 °C

Jun

🌡 20-30 °C

Jul

🌡 23-33 °C

Aug

🌡 23-33 °C

Sep

🌡 20-29 °C

Oct

🌡 15-24 °C

Nov

🌡 11-18 °C

Dec

🌡 7-14 °C

Detailed programs

Recommended itineraries

1 week

1-week itinerary

📅 1 week 💰 📍 Athens · Naxos OR Santorini

See itinerary →

2 weeks Best-seller

2-week itinerary

📅 2 weeks 💰 📍 Athens · Delphi · Meteora · Peloponnese · Naxos · Santorini

See itinerary →

1 month

1-month itinerary

📅 1 month 💰 📍 Athens · Peloponnese · Meteora · Naxos · Paros · Milos · Crete

See itinerary →

Destinations

Cities & islands of Greece

Capital

Athens

Acropolis + taverns

Cyclades

Santorini

Caldera + Oia sunset

By traveler profile

Which trip suits you?

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Families

Naxos (safe beaches, real local life), Crete, Corfu. Avoid Santorini and Mykonos (steep, crowds, prohibitive prices).

💑

Honeymoon

Santorini (Canaves Oia, Andronis), more secret Milos, isolated Folegandros. 7 nights €5,000-10,000.

🎒

Backpacking

Athens hostels €25, ferries €25-80, gyros €4-6. Naturist camping possible on some islands. 14 days €1,000-1,300.

🏛️

History & antiquity

Athens + Peloponnese (Mycenae, Olympia, Nafplio, Sparta) + Delphi. Plan 7-10 days minimum. Athens Pass useful.

🏖️

Secret beaches

Milos (unique volcanic beaches), Karpathos (Dodecanese), Folegandros, Lefkada. Outside saturated Santorini/Mykonos.

⛵

Sailing & yachting

Cyclades by sailboat (Paros-Naxos-Mykonos-Santorini) or Ionian. Plan €3,000-8,000/week for 6-8 people.

In pictures

Greece in photos

Greece

Athens

Santorini

Must-do

Signature experiences

✨

Athens Acropolis at dawn

Before 9am, almost empty

✨

Oia sunset

Santorini, arrive 1h early

✨

Sarakiniko beach (Milos)

White lunar rocks

✨

Meteora

Cliff-top monasteries

✨

Samaria Gorges (Crete)

16 km hike

✨

Cyclades sailing tour

5-7 days, secret beaches

✨

Athens Plaka taverns

Meze + ouzo

✨

Crete cooking class

Moussaka, dolmades

Plan your trip

Practical info

📄

Greece visa

No visa for EU nationals. Valid ID card or passport.

Read guide →

⛴️

Inter-island ferries

Ferryhopper and Open Ferries. Book 1-3 months ahead in high season.

Read guide →

🛡️

Travel insurance

EHIC sufficient. Diving and trekking: supplement useful.

Compare →

💳

Travel bank card

Cash always useful for taverns and ferries. Wise/Revolut OK.

Compare →

How much

Greece budget

💰 Calculate my budget →

Backpacker

€1,100

✈️ Low-cost flight: €100
🏨 Hostel/B&B: €30/night
🍽️ Gyros + taverns: €20/day
⛴️ Ferries: €200

Recommended

Comfort

€2,200

✈️ Flight: €150
🏨 3-4★ hotel: €120/night
🍽️ Mixed restos: €45/day
⛴️ Ferries + scooter: €300

Premium

€8,000

✈️ Business flight: €500
🏨 Canaves Oia, Andronis: €500/night
🍽️ Luxury hotel restos: €100/day
⛴️ Private yacht / helicopter: Included

Our picks

Prepare your trip to Greece

Our tested and updated comparisons for a smooth trip to Greece.

🏢

Best travel agency for Greece

Tailor-made agencies, organized tours, free quotes. Our selection for Greece.

See comparison →

🛡️

Travel insurance for Greece

Medical coverage, repatriation, cancellation. The best insurance for Greece.

See comparison →

📡

eSIM for Greece

Data plans, network coverage, pricing. The best eSIM to stay connected in Greece.

See comparison →

Combine with

Hot air balloons at sunrise over Cappadocia's fairy chimneys

🇹🇷

Turkey

Ferry or 1h flight, cultural bridge

Aerial view of the walled old town of Dubrovnik and its orange roofs over the Adriatic

🇭🇷

Croatia

2h flight, Adriatic + Aegean

Road between green fields near mountains in Tuscany

🇮🇹

Italy

2h flight, classic Mediterranean

Camel caravan in front of the Pyramid of Khufu at Giza

🇪🇬

Egypt

3h flight, extended antiquity

Turquoise beach on the Albanian Riviera with crystal-clear water and seaside resorts

🇦🇱

Albanie

Frontière terrestre, combo Balkans

View of Seville and the Guadalquivir river

🇪🇸

Espagne

Vol 3h, îles et soleil

FAQ

When to go to Greece? +

May-June and September = ideal (temperature + warm sea + moderate crowd). Avoid July-August (45°C Athens, crowds, prices x2-3). April and October OK but sea still cool.

Which Greek island to choose? +

Romantic: Santorini (expensive, crowded) or Milos (more secret). Festive: Mykonos, Ios. Wild beaches: Naxos, Paros, Folegandros. Authentic: Crete, Karpathos, Lesbos. For 7 days: 1 island. For 14 days: 2-3 islands max.

Visa for Greece? +

No for EU nationals. Valid ID card or passport.

How much does a Greece trip cost? +

Backpacker: €1,100-1,400 flight included. Comfort: €2,200-2,800 (Santorini and Mykonos more expensive). Premium: €6,000-15,000.

How many days for Athens? +

2-3 days enough for Acropolis, Plaka, Archaeological Museum. 4-5 days with Delphi or Cape Sounion excursion. Don't skip it, one of Europe's great capitals.

Ferries or flights between islands? +

Ferries for Cyclades (3-5h between islands, €25-60). Flights for Crete, Rhodes, Corfu from Athens (1h, €50-100). Ferryhopper and Aegean Airlines.